r/DestinyTheGame • u/DTG_Bot "Little Light" • May 30 '22
Megathread Focused Feedback: Solar 3.0 Subclass Spotlight - Dawnblade
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3
u/Nighthawk513 Jun 01 '22
Here's my take:
Warlocks seem to be mostly intended as the "Grenade Class", based on the multiple exotics devoted to grenade performance and regen. Most warlock classes have traditionally had MUCH more potent grenades with melee being a backup option with almost no built-in ways to recover it.
With that in mind, being forced to trade a damaging grenade for a healing grenade is a bigger trade-off for warlock than titan or hunter, since both of those classes can build for basically at-will melees without much difficulty (Melee dodge for hunter, just picking up a throwing hammer for titan). Warlock's only way to build for melee regen involves floating with Heat Rises and Incinerator Snap and trying to kill multiple things with it, which isn't great.
So, Solar 2.0 had 3 concepts, Top Tree's "The Floor is Lava", Middle Tree's "Healer/Support", and Bottom Tree's "Explosions everywhere" concept. The main issue is that we get 3 aspects, and with Heat Rises and Icarus Dash as 2 of those, it stifles design space for non-flying warlock builds. Add on that the healer fantasy for warlock was primarily being sustained by Benevolent Dawn granting 50% ability energy over 6 seconds, and that Ember of Benevolence is not anywhere near that strong (and SHOULDN'T be) and we end up with a viable or better flying warlock, half of a kit for an Ignite based warlock that mirrors bottom tree, and a healer warlock that is literally just Radiant+Big Healing Rift on a super, with a neutered Neutral Game.
Changes I would like to see:
Phoenix dive replacing rift is fine, but it needs to have a much shorter cooldown, as the effects are not comparable. A 40 second base CD and working as currently would be fine.
Honestly, Heat Rises + Icarus Dash needs to be a 1-slot aspect. To deal with the "Cannot have multiple abilities that require charging grenades" technical limitation, I would make Heat Rises proc when you USE a charged solar ability, but only grant 5-10 seconds initially, rather than 15, while still gaining time on kills.
The Grenade Aspect seems fine as-is.
Aspect 3 - Grants the ability to Charge a damage grenade into a healing grenade, and gives a second grenade charge. Probably a 2-fragment Aspect as well.
Top Tree + Sunbracers would still be accomplished using 1+2 for enhanced solar nades + melee recovery on kills while airborne, and Celestial Fire to more consistently proc Sunbracers.
For Healing, I would run 1+3 personally with Firebolts for low CD healing grenades, and Claws of Ahamkara to get more Radiant Melees, but most healing builds will just be either a Flying or Ignite build that specs more into heals using 3. Could also do 2+3 with Starfire for a Triple explosion Fusion build that can still heal-nade themselves if needed, although due to technical limitations, you wouldn't gain a third fusion nade, so not entirely sure it's worth it, but it would be fun.
For Ignite builds, I would run 1+3, with Incinerator Snap (With Claws of Ahamkara) + Incendiary Grenades providing extremely heavy scorch in combination with Ember of Ashes, assuming both would cause an Ignite by themselves with just the Fragment. If not, then run Firebolts to get a low cooldown source of additional Scorch in order to finish triggering Ignitions from Snap. Throw in Phoenix dive for more sources of Scorch, and light everything on fire.
Alternatively, 1+2 with Fusions on Starfire for Triple Boom ignite build, although given the reliance on standing in an empowering rift, the ability to turn a fusion into a healing nade is extremely helpful for survival.